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N. O C A E D R. `B.

(No Model.)

STEAM AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION POR RAILWAY CARS.

ented Nov. 1, 1887.

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No Model. muetssheet 2. B. R.. DRAGON.

STEAM AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION EOREA'ILWAY CARS.

No. 372,363. Patnted Nov. 1188'7.

(No Model'.) 4-`SheetsSheet 3.

B. R. BEACON. STEAM AND ELBTRIC CONNECTION FR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 372,363, Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. B. R. DEAC'ON.

. STEAM AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIC.

BENJAMIN R. BEACON, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

STEAMAND ELECTRIC CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming pari', of Letters Patent No. 372,363, dated November l, 1887.

Application filed April l5, 1887.

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN RICHARD DEAcoN, of the city of Montreal, in the district of Montreal and 4Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam and Electric Connections 'for Railway-Cars; and'I dohercby declare that the following is a full, clear, and ex- 'act description of the same.

' train of carsan electrical apparatus on one of the cars for generating the electricity for the light in each car. It therefore follows that to carry this out in practice there must be a continuous steam-connection from the boiler of the locomotive or other steam generator through all the cars; also, a complete circuit of electrical wire connected with all the electrical lamps in all the cars. y

My invention consists in the construction of a combined connection so arranged that by simply coupling the cars Vtogether the proper connections for the'steam and electricity above mentioned will be automatically accomplished at the same time and in the act of coupling the railway-cars, thus saving much loss of time, which is particularly important when a train is required to have cars added on to it at various stations along its journey.

The particular features `or combinations of parts which form my present invention will be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings'hereunto annexed similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a plan of the under side (as if looking up from below) of a construction embodying my invention in the position the parts thereof will assume when the cars are coupled together.

of one side of the construction shown in Fig.k 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the action caused by` the working of the cars in and out of line with each other, as by the cars heeling over in different directions, or by going over `the arms q and r and bracket a.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation Serial No. 234,888. (No model.)

a curve. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one half of the construction shown in Fig. 1, being an elevation of the reverse side to that shown in Fig. 2, but with the parts in the positions they will assume when the cars are uncoupled. Fig. 5 is a corresponding side elevation of the other half of the construction shown in Fig. 1 under the same circumstances mentioned for Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an elevation ofthe outer end of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a section of parts taken at line w, Fig. 4, showing also in connection therewith an elevation of the arms o and p, also spring e?, the position of the line x, Fig. 4, being the same as the line x in Fig. 1. Fig. S is a section of parts taken at line no', Fig. 4, which is situated at the same' position as the line m' in Fig. 1, showing also in connection therewith an elevation of Figs. 9 to 14, inclusive, are details of construction. Fig. l5 is a side elevation of a modification of the invention. Fig. 16 is a plan of the construction shown in Fig. 15, looking downward, and section of brackets c, taken at the level of the lines x x in Fig. 15. Figs. 17 and 18 are illustrations of the motions of parts. Fig. 19 is a section of modified steam-connection, taken on line x, Fig. 20. Fig. 19" is a further modification of the pipe d and casing c4 shown in Fig. 19. Fig. 20 is a side elevation of modification of steam-connection. Fig. 21 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figs. l19 and 20. Fig. 22 is a side elevation of a modified means of completing the electrical circuit at the ends of the trains. Fig. 23 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 22.

' Before beginning the particular description of my invention I will make some general remarks and explanations.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, the apparatus will be so situated that the centerline, fr? x3, Fig. 1, will be vertically overa longitudinal center line drawn between the rails upon which the cars are placed. The invention may be placed under the bunter-beam and attached under the frame of the body of the car to the said frame or to some construction attached to the under side of said frame, or the invention may be attached under or over upon the roof of the car. invention is made in two principal parts. One part will be situated at one end of each car IOC and the other part at the other end of each car on each and all the cars composing the train. Each car will be provided with any desired form of ordinary heater-pipes; but this must be so arranged that one end of the heaterpipes will be connected with one principal part of the invention at one end of each car, and the other end of the heater-pipes will be connected with the other principal part of the invention' at the other end of each ear; otherwise the heater-pipes may be arranged in any desired manner, and as they do not form any part of the present invention they are not illustrated in the drawings any further than to show how the invention is connected with the ends of them, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, hereinafter more particularly described.

Letter A is a portion of the body of a car, or, if desired, some frame-work attached under the body or frame-work of the car especially arranged for attaching one principal part of the invention upon. B is a similar portion of the next car. To A and B are bolted brackets a, which, with cups b, each form a socket to receive a ball, c. One ball c is made integral with a pipe d and the other with a pipe e. On the pipe d is secured an ordinary stopcock, b'l. rlhe outer end is formed into a cylinder,f, having an outwardly-dared or bellshaped mouth, g.

For the sake of shortness and clearness,and to mitigate long repetitions of a number of parts, piped, having ball c, and cylinder f, having bell-mouth g, will be called hereinafter and understood by the name cylinder-pipe.

The pipe c is provided with a ball, c, as stated. lt has also near its outer end a piston formed by rings or collars 7th and a packing, t, arranged to iit steam-tight within the cylinderf.

For the sake of shortness, &e., the parts pipe c, having ball c, and collars h, with packing i, will be hereinafter called and understood by the name piston-pipe.

'lhe cylinder-pipe and piston-pipe are provided with arms k, l, 0,1), q, and r, and arms m and u, attached or made in one with a slide, d', on the pipe c, the whole as shown. (See Figs. 1 to 6 and 7 and 8.) The arms Z, anp, and o' terminate in T-shaped ends s and t, as shown. In each ot' the ends s are secured two standards, u, on each of which is placed aslceve,v, tted to slide freely thereon. rThe T-ends t are provided with two eyes, a', of suitable size for the sleeves o to slide freely through.

b are spiral springs, one of which is placed upon each of the standards u. These are arranged so that they will keep the sleeves v pressed out until the collars c press upon the T-ends t, in which position they are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In the outer end of each of the sleeves v is secured an electrical insulator, e', and on each of .these is secured an electrical pole or head, f', to which arc attached insulated electrical circuit-wires g', each of which extends from the headsf at one end of the car to the headsf at the other end of the car.

I would here remark that the parts shown in Fig. 4 may be taken to show the parts of the invention situated at one end of one car and the parts shown in Fig. 5 to be the parts of the invention situated on the end of the next ear in the train of cars; or they may be taken to show the two ends of the same car by simply supposing the figures to be reversed in position, so that the ends C C will be toward each other and the body of the car intervening between them, in which case the wires f/ shown in Fig. 5 will be the continuations of the wires g (on the same car) shown in Fig. 4. Thus these two figures, 4 and 5, may be said to not only illustrate the invention as applied to the ends of two adjacent cars, but also the two bcfore-mentioned principal parts of the invention, as they are arranged on the two ends of the same ear.

The cylinderf is made of such length, and the piston-pipe extends to such a distance within it, .that the working of the cars after they are coupled will not cause the packing z' to be either withdrawn from the cylinderf or thrust too far into it, so that the end ot' the pipe e will touch any part at the bottom of the cylinder.

The slide d,above referred to as having arms m and n attached upon or made integral therewith, is provided with an elastic washer, h', arranged to form a tight joint with the bellmouth g by the action of a spring, t', placed on the inner portion of the pipe e and pressing between the sleeve d and a fixed collar, It', secured yet farther in on the pipe e.

\Vhen the two principal parts of the invention are moved apart, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the outer end, Z', ofthe slide d is caused, by the spring i', to be pushed against the inner collar, h. (See Fig. 19.)

The slide d, arranged as described, not only assists in keeping any water or steam from escaping at the bell-mouth y, but also prevents the entry of dust and ashes into the cylinderf.

Secured in the arm 7c, and sliding in the eye o5 of the arm m, is a standard, m', provided with an enlarged head, n. In the arms o and q, which terminate in eyes o' and p', slides a rod, q, (in the said eyes.) This is provided with an enlarged head, 1", and upon it is placed a spiral spring, s', pressing between the eye o and the head r'. On the inner end of the rod q is secured a double eye, t, to which is pivoted a link, u. The other extremity of this link is pivoted to the crank o', attached on the neck a2 of the stopper of the stop-cock b', which crank, when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, opens the stopcock; but when the ears are uncoupled and moved apart, the spring s moves the rod q the distance from the line fr* to the line in Fig. l, causing the link u and crank a' to move to the positions indicated by the lines 1 and 2 in Fig. 2, thus shutting the stop-cock b2.

c2 is one end of the system of heater-pipes in the car, which will be brought up and terminated at a short distance from the stop-cock IOO IIO

b2. These are connected together by means of a piece of tleXible pipe, d2. The inner end of the pipe e will also be connected by a ilexible pipe in a similar manner with the end of the system of heater-pipes of the next car, and also on the tender of the engine, if the cars are to be heated by steam taken from the boiler, 8vo.,

of the locomotive-engine; but the particular manner of arranging this will be hereinafter more particularly mentioned.

It will be seen from the above description that when the cars are brought 'together and coupled the electric and steam connections arev formed automatically, with the exception of the completion of the electric circuit at the ends of the train, for we, will suppose the circuit to be made through the upper and lower wires g', passing through one and returning through the other. For the purpose of completing this circuiti form on the arm p an eX- tenson, e2, provided with an insulator, f2, carrying a metallic plate, g, situated so that when the headsf are pushed out by t-he springs b the said heads will touch the plate g', and thus form through it the continuation of the circuit,

A in a horizontal position and in a line parallel with the longitudinal center line of the car by springs i2. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 7.) These springs enable the said pipes to yieldin any direction required,'so that if in coupling the cars the center line of the two cars should not agree and be in ou and the same straight line, as the line x x in Fig. 3, but the line of one car should be as the line x, yet, if the outer end of the pipe e enters within the bellmouth g, the springs i2 will yield and allow the said pipes to come properly together in the position of the line x2 mi, the bell-mouth taking the position of the dotted line x3, the headsf taking the position of the dotted line x4, and the heads n' and r taking 'the position of the dotted line x5, all as shown in Fig. 3.

I here wish to call attention to the fact-that the invention,asabove described,isonly applicable to the cars of a railway when the cars are so arranged on the track that an end having a cylinder-pipe will always come in position to be connected with an end having a piston-pipe. This will answer very well on a railway where the cars run continuously on that onerailway might so happen that two cylinder-pipes or two piston-pipes would come together if the cars were coupled, and the other parts also would not agree. The heads f, n', and r might be on reverse sides to the order mentioned above and shown in the drawings, Fig. 1. It therefore becomes necessary to also provide for the interchanging of cars and have the parts or connections so arranged that they will under all circumstances agree, provided the cars on all the railways are provided with the same construction, or, in other words,that l the turning of the car end for end will not cause any obstruction to their being readily coupled together and the invention thereby operated. Therefore I shall give a description hereinafter of what I have hereinbefore called a modification of niyinvention, but which may also be called the completion of the invention which I now seek to patent.

Referring to the construction shown by Figs. 11 to 21, inclusively, in this case the two principal parts ofthe invention are made exactly alike, not one a cylinder-pipe and the other a piston-pipe, as before. Here a are thebrackets, and b caps, the two forming sockets. d are pipes having balls c, as shown in Fig. 10, (the sectional part of this figure is taken on or about line x, Fig. 8,) received within and agreeing with the sockets, as before mentioned. On the ends of the pipes dare attached stop-cocks b'l. and on the reverse ends of the pipes d are lformed Stoppers a, similar to the Stoppers of ordinary stop cocks.

IOC'

These are each fitted to a shell, b4, similar to the shell of an ordinary stop-cock, but made integral with a casing, c; also, instead of the shell b* having simple openings agreeing with the passage (V, this portion ofthe shell is removed ali around, so that in whatever position the casing c4 is turned the passage d* will not be closed thereby. (See Fig. 19.)

On one side of the casing cfis formed, as shown, a cylinder,f, having a bell-mouth, g, and on the other side is formed a pipo, e, which is similar to the outer end of the pipe e in Fig. 1, being also provided with collars h, packing i, a slide, d, actuated by a spiral spring, t', and having an elastic washer, h', retained in place by a collar, e", all in a similar manner as shown or described for Fig. 1.

In Fig. 19 we will suppose theline :r to be the center line of the pipe d and of the stopper at. The lines ac and mi will be supposed to be the center lines of the cylinder f and the pipe e. Care must be taken that the center lines, a2 and m2, are not only parallel with the line x, but they must be equally distant from it, and with regard to all parts of the pipes e and cylinders f, or attachments of these pipes and cylinders on all the cars, the whole of the parts must be made to a standard of dimensions; otherwise the invention will not work properly.

Fig. 15 being a side elevation and Fig. 16 a plan, it follows that the cylindersf and pipes e, as shown, are situated vertically the one above the other; but as both the casings care free to be turned about in any direction, they may be situated, as desired, to agree the one with the other when any two cars are to be coupled together. If they are situated perfectly horizontally, as shown in Fig. 21, in which the line :r will be supposed to be the horizontal line, and all the cylinders fon all the cars placed to the rightand all thepipes c placed to the left, or vice versa, then there would not be any necessity for having the casings c4 made so that they can be turned round on` the stoppers a; but the piped could be made integral or attached securely to the casing c, as de' sired. (See Fig. 15P.)

In the moditication shown by Figs. 11 to 2l, iuclusively, some changes are made in the arms 0, p, q, and r. In the first place they are situated vertically and are straightthat is to say, none of them having the T ends above described. (See frontelevations ofthenishowu in Figs. 11 and 13.)

In the arms q are secured standards u, and in each of the arms r are secured two stand` ards u. On the lower standards u are placed springs b' and sleeves o, having insulators c and headsf, to which are attached insulated electrical wiresg, all as hereinbefore described, and to operate in the same manner.

The line y y, Figs. 15 and 16, represents the position of the heads f when the ears are coupled together. The'position ofthe head j" in Fig. 17 in relation to the line y y shows how the headsf will be moved outward when the ears are uncoupled and moved apart by the action of the springs b. The arms p are provided with eyes a for the sleevesv to slide i'reely through.

On the standards u in the arms qareplaced spiral springs s and sleeves o el, having heads n' and r", and having also double eyes f* formed on the said sleeves. To these are pivoted the ends of the links u. The other ends of the links are pivoted to the cranks o for operating the stop-cocks b2. In this case openings g'are formed in the brackets c (see Figs. 12 and 16) for the links u' t0 pass and work through.

The shutting and opening of the stop-cocks b'l by the coupling and uncoupling of the cars will be so readily understood by comparing the positions ol the parts in Figs. 15, 16, and 1S with the line y y that a further description of this is considered (beyond what has been already stated) unnecessary, being the saine as described and shown for Fig. 1. In this modification also the ends ot' each of the stop-cocks bg are connected by flexible pipes d" to the ends c2 of the system of heaterpipes of the car, (see Figs. 1, 2, 15, and 16,) as hereinabove described for the first form of this invention.

Although not shown in Figs. 15 and 16, to each of the pipes d will be attached a spring, i", as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7, for holding them in the proper relative positionsn In Fig. 14 a plan and side elevation of thev link u are given.

The means by. which the steam from the engine is brought to the first car, when steam from the engine is used, does not form any part ofthe present iuventiomand therefore need not be particularly described; but in case ot' any doubt arising as to the manner in which this maybe done, it may be well to make some general remarks upon the subject, because were this not possible to be done the invention above described would be useless in a great measure.

It is contemplated that when the cars areiu motion a portion of the exhaust-steam may be taken from the exhaust-passages in the saddle l between the cylinders of the engine, and when the cars are stationary that live steam may be taken from the boiler ofthe engine by a suitably arranged system ofpipes and cocks, which an ordinary cnginebuilder would at once understand. Thissystem will in allcases end at the back of the tender.

It' the steam from the locomotive is to be employed with the Iirst form of this invention, or as shown in Figs. l and 2, then the said system of pipes on the engine and tender will terminate in a double or in two ends, to one of which will be attached by a flexible pipe a cyliudcrpipe, and t0 the other will be similarly attached a pistonpipe, so that one or the other will connect with the eylinder-pipe or pistonpipe at the end ol' the train of cars to which the engine is coupled, any suitable means being provided for locking or securing the part attached to the tender in iirm connection with the part on the cars.

Stop-cocks will be provided for shutting oft" the steam from escapin'g from the piston-pipe or cylinder-pipe that is not in use, as the case may be, and further means will also be pro vided for securing that which is not in use iu position ont of the way and in a safe and convenient position 0n the tender.

W'hen the second form, as shown by Figs. 15, 1G, 19, 20, and 21 of the invention, is used, it is only necessary to provide at the end of the tender, as a termination of the said system of pipes on the engine and tender, the pipe d, having casing c4, provided with cylinderf and pipe c and other parts, as shown and described for Figs. 19 and 19.

Lastly, when the cars require to be heated while standing at a station, when no locomotive is present, this may be done in a similar manner by connecting them with a stationary or portable (on wheels) generator arranged to connect with the invention on the cars, as hcreinbefore explained for the locomotive to do.

IIaving thus generally explained the manner of supplying the steam to the cars we will now return to the invention.

Although there is not any exact combination between the supply of steam and the current of electricity through the train of cars, yet by constructing the invention as herein- ICO IIO

above described the parts on the one car are combined in such a manner with those on the other car that by the action ot' bringing and holding the parts together for the steam-connection it brings and holds the parts together for the electrical contact also'. Therefore they are to this extent combined in one and the same construction.

The heater-pipes on the cars will be provided with the ordinary cocks or Water-traps for keeping them clear from condensed water. These form no part of the present invention, and therefore need not be described.

By placing the above-described electrical connections in the center of the car, as shown in Fig. l5, instead of at thevside,as shown and described for Figs. l and 6, and by making the parts of standard dimensions, the electrical contact is always obtained when the cars are coupled together.

What I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent., is as follows:

l. The combination of the bracket a, having a socket formed in it, pipe d, having ball c formed upon it, secured within the said sock et, thereby forming a ball and socket, casing c4, connected with pipe d and having cylinder f, provided with bell-mouth g, the said casing c4 having a pipe, e, provided with packing i, sleeve d', arranged to slide upon the said pipe e, spring i', arranged to actuate the sleeve d', arms o, p, g, and r, formed upon the pipe d,

standards u, attached to arms q and r, and arranged, in conjunction with the arms o and p, to guide the sleeves c c6 o7, sleeves v o c7, heads f', formed on the sleevesjo, Wires g', connected electrically with the heads f', heads n and r', attached upon the sleeves. v6 v7, actuatingsprings bs', links u', connected to sleeves o c7,

link u is also attached',` the above parts being provided at each of the ends of a railway-car and connected with the ends ot` the heater-coil of the said car by a flexible pipe, d2, with said heater-coil and flexible tube, the one railwaycar so provided in combination with another railway-car similarly provided, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a system of heaterpipes extending from one end of the car to the other, tlexible pipes d2, attached to the ends of said system of heater-pipes, stop-cocks b2, attached to said flexible pipes, pipes d, attached to said stop-cocks, the pipes d having balls c, brackets a, having sockets, as described, arranged to receive the balls c and form a Vballand stop cock b2, having crank o', to which the and-socket joint, casings ci, connected to pipes a socket arranged to receive the said ball and form a ball-and-socket joint between the two, stop-cock and iiexible pipe attached to the said pipe having a ball, and flexible pipe attached to one end ofthe heater-coil of a car with said heater-coil, with a pipe having a packing arranged to t the said cylinder having a bellmouth, sleeve arranged to slide on the said pipe, spring placed on said pipe and arranged to actuate said sleeve, pipe having a ball formed thereon connected with said pipe having said packing, bracket having a socket arranged to receive said ball and form a ball-and-socket joint between the two, the said pipe having a ball, further provided with a stop-cock, ilexible pipe, and heater-coil of a car, the said dexible pipe forming the connection`between the i said stop-cock and heater-coil, the above in combination with guiding-springs i2, attached to the said pipes having balls, the whole substantially as described. i

4. The combination of the socket-formed bracket a, pipes d, having ball c and stopper a4, casing and shell c4 b, provided with cylinderf, having bell-mouthg and provided with pipe e, having packing z' and spring-actuated sleeve d', the said pipes d being also provided with arms, as described and shown, for holding spring-actuated heads f', provided with insulated electrical-circuit wires g', with said spring-actuated heads f and. said wires g', and

with the spring-actuated heads a' and r', provided with sleeves o and v7, links u', and stopcocks b, attached to each end of the system of heater-pipes ofthe car,said car being provided, as stated, with the parts at both ends of it in combination with another railway-car similarly provided with parts, the whole substan- Witnesses:

CHARLES G. C. SIMPSON, A. A. SrMrsoN. i 

